“I have asked the National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) to present, by year-end, a plan of ceasing vaccination against swine fever, as it is a main element in resuming export of pork in the EU, alongside strict control and hygiene measures. If this plan is approved by the EC, we will request the resuming of export from the regions where there are no hotbeds and there are safety controls,” Ciolos said.

He mentioned that the MADR goal is to resume export of pork, if there have been no hotbeds for at least nine months and the vaccination against the disease has been ceased.

Romania has asked the EC for permission to resume its pork trade within the EU starting from May of 2009. The EC has agreed to Romania’s ceasing vaccination against swine fever because of a low efficiency of the Marker vaccines used, following that the community funds allotted for vaccination to be used for strengthening of the bio-security measures in these farms.

The European norms say, “in a six months’ time since the cease of vaccination against the swine fever and if hotbeds are not registered during this time, Romania might be allowed to resume exports of pork on the EU market.”

Financiarul.ro reports that vaccination against the swine fever has continued this year only in individual husbandries and in the case of wild pigs.

There have been no hotbeds in Romania in 2008 though there were three of them in 2007, all in Timis county (western Romania) at the farms of Smithfield American company.

Further Reading

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Find out more information on Swine Fever by clicking here.